ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: Islamabad Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IWCCI) in collaboration with the management GIGA Mall has set up 100 free shops for women entrepreneurs at GIGA Mall Islamabad.
Ms. Nilofar Bakhtiar, Chairperson, National Commission on the Status of Women, has inaugurated the event as a Chief Guest.
Women-owned businesses continue to face specific obstacles, many of which were present before the pandemic and have only been exacerbated throughout the past two years. As pandemic hit businesses exponentially, many women entrepreneurs had to either shrink their physical businesses to virtual businesses and many had to close down their businesses. This opportunity encouraged women entrepreneurs to gear up and market their product at one of the biggest malls of Islamabad.
During the event, Samina Fazil, Founder President said that this is for the first time in history of Pakistan that 100 plus women entrepreneurs get access to shops at Malls. She said that we are extremely overwhelmed by the Giga Mall initiative for empowering women in business. This opportunity will help these women entrepreneurs to scale up their businesses.
Naima Ansari, President IWCCI said that these shops will not only provide market place to women owned businesses but it will also serve as a platform for learning for women where they will interact with fellow women entrepreneurs, understand market demand and will price their product accordingly. This also aims to eliminate the concept of middleman as shops are given to women entrepreneurs from far flung areas too like Quetta, Multan, Bhawalpur and far flung areas.
At the end of the event, the Chief Guest Ms.Nilofar Bakhtiar emphasized the significance of women in business and said that women globally are moving into a growing space as innovators, entrepreneurs, startup founders, techies, businesswomen, as well as home-based workers. From their existing roles in traditional economic sectors of agriculture, health, education, etc., women are now making inroads in the Fourth Industrial Revolution to drive global and regional knowledge economies of scale. She lauded the efforts put in by Islamabad Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry for providing this unparalleled opportunity to business women and hoped that IWCCI will keep ensuring empowerment to women in business.
IWCCI comprises of over 1000 active Women Enterprises are dealing in the Cottage to SME’s sector such as hand Knotted Carpets, Handicrafts, Designers Jewelry, and Textile, Garments, Home Décor, Furniture and Leather related products. IWCCI members are extremely thankful to Giga Mall management for the immense facilitation and support they provided to women in businesses. IWCCI hope to work together with the management GIGA Mall to uplift women entrepreneurs to work for the social development in general and take part in making women entrepreneurs the cardinal pillars in the economic growth of Pakistan.
Large number of dignitaries from business community, executive members IWCCI, government reps, media representatives and women entrepreneurs attended the event.
 in collaboration with the management GIGA Mall has set up 100 free shops for women entrepreneurs at GIGA Mall Islamabad.){kind=link}